{"id":60951,"date":"2026-02-28T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=60951"},"modified":"2026-02-27T14:46:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T05:46:45","slug":"from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/","title":{"rendered":"From\u00a0ASMR\u00a0tea brewing\u00a0to\u00a0tingly\u00a0ear cleaning: 5 relaxing Japanese indie games\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Welcome to our weekend segment, where we&nbsp;showcase&nbsp;recent or upcoming Japanese indie&nbsp;titles&nbsp;that share a specific theme. This weekend,&nbsp;take a load off&nbsp;and indulge in some relaxing games. While video games are&nbsp;generally relaxing&nbsp;by nature, these&nbsp;ones&nbsp;are especially good at setting your mind at ease.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&quot;Kemono Teatime&quot; 2ndPV&quot;KAWAII moratorium&quot;\" width=\"1160\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uo_fcjZlHJc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"kemono-teatime\">Kemono&nbsp;Teatime&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you ever wanted to run your own tea caf\u00e9, then&nbsp;Kemono&nbsp;Teatime might be up your alley. Run by a pair of sisters, the&nbsp;limited-time&nbsp;caf\u00e9 serves as host to several Kemomimi (an anthropomorphic race&nbsp;possessing&nbsp;animal characteristics&nbsp;like&nbsp;cat&nbsp;ears and tails), each with their own tea tastes.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1520\" height=\"853\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1520px) 100vw, 1520px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-001.jpg\" alt=\"Kemono\u00a0Teatime\u00a0\" class=\"wp-image-60956\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-001.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-001-380x213.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-001-768x431.jpg 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the course of&nbsp;21 days, you will learn about your customers as well as their personal drink and snack preferences.&nbsp;As an example,&nbsp;some prefer fragrant teas while others want specific herbs in their drinks. With 9 black teas, 15 herbs, and several secret ingredients to choose from,&nbsp;you are free to mix and match to find the perfect blend for each customer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s&nbsp;nothing to say&nbsp;of&nbsp;the desserts, which&nbsp;comprise&nbsp;another category altogether.&nbsp;Both the teas and&nbsp;desserts require ingredients to make,&nbsp;which you can&nbsp;purchase&nbsp;from vendors using&nbsp;currency&nbsp;you earn from running your business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1518\" height=\"847\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1518px) 100vw, 1518px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-header.jpg\" alt=\"Kemono\u00a0Teatime\u00a0\" class=\"wp-image-60958\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-header.jpg 1518w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-header-380x212.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-header-768x429.jpg 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Though&nbsp;Kemono&nbsp;Teatime&nbsp;sounds&nbsp;like it has you pressed for time, its gameplay and overall vibe make you want to take things slow. From the immersive caf\u00e9 ASMR to the cozy shop&nbsp;tunes&nbsp;and unique&nbsp;music&nbsp;for each customer, this is one title that&nbsp;will&nbsp;make you&nbsp;want to brew a cup of&nbsp;tea&nbsp;orcoffee&nbsp;of&nbsp;your own&nbsp;as you play it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Developed by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Studio_Lalala_E\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Studio Lalala<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kotoneiro.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kotoneiro<\/a>,&nbsp;and&nbsp;WHO YOU,&nbsp;Kemono&nbsp;Teatime is available for Windows (<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2698470\/Kemono_Teatime\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steam<\/a>). A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/3345060\/Kemono_Teatime_Demo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free demo<\/a>&nbsp;is also available.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"HER TREES : PUZZLE DREAM\u30002.11 Release(JST)\" width=\"1160\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gZyx0M0HbeI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"her-trees-puzzle-dream\">Her Trees: Puzzle Dream&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For those who want things to be as simple as possible, Her Trees: Puzzle Dream is a point-and-click puzzle game where you drag objects to solve puzzles in your dreams. With over 40 unique challenges to complete, the game strips things down to a&nbsp;monochrome&nbsp;aesthetic, minimalist soundtrack, and satisfying ASMR.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1514\" height=\"847\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1514px) 100vw, 1514px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-003.jpg\" alt=\"Her Trees: Puzzle Dream\u00a0\" class=\"wp-image-60959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-003.jpg 1514w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-003-380x213.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-003-768x430.jpg 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the puzzles are more difficult than others, but they are&nbsp;not unsolvable. Intuition and&nbsp;careful&nbsp;observation are your key tools here, as there is no need for&nbsp;note-taking&nbsp;or number crunching. Should you find yourself stuck on a puzzle for too long, hints and the&nbsp;complete&nbsp;solution will&nbsp;eventually&nbsp;present themselves after&nbsp;a set amount of&nbsp;time has passed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her Trees: Puzzle Dream is the third game in the series, following&nbsp;Her Trees: First Puzzle&nbsp;(available for Windows on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/stonetreebook.itch.io\/her-trees\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">itch.io<\/a>)&nbsp;and&nbsp;Her Trees: The Puzzle House (available for Windows on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/stonetreebook.itch.io\/her-trees-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">itch.io<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2725090\/HER_TREES__THE_PUZZLE_HOUSE\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steam<\/a>). Despite this,&nbsp;it can be played as a standalone title.&nbsp;It is&nbsp;a relaxing way to keep your mind sharp and only takes&nbsp;roughly 1&nbsp;to 2.5 hours to complete.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Developed by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/stonegamedev.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stone<\/a>,&nbsp;Her Trees: Puzzle Dream is available on Windows (<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/3300800\/HER_TREES__PUZZLE_DREAM\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steam<\/a>). A free demo is also available.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u3081\u3067\u307e\u3067PV\" width=\"1160\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/N9NoxOTAx8Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"medetashi-medetashi\">Medetashi&nbsp;Medetashi&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A traditional Japanese phrase that&nbsp;roughly translates&nbsp;to \u201cAll\u2019s Well That Ends Well,\u201d&nbsp;Medetashi&nbsp;Medetashi&nbsp;is a&nbsp;cozy point-and-click game\/visual novel told from the perspective of the reader. Knowing that the novel ends in tragedy,&nbsp;you&nbsp;assume the role of a cat and insert&nbsp;yourself&nbsp;into the story to avert&nbsp;the&nbsp;grim outcome.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The novel seems to be allergic to proper nouns, as all of the characters (including\u00a0the protagonist\u2019s\u00a0feline self) have generic titles such as \u201cCat\u201d, \u201cAuntie\u201d, and \u201cGirl\u201d,\u00a0instead of actual names.\u00a0This is an intentional choice, however, as the game\u00a0wants\u00a0you\u00a0to grow attached to their personalities as the narrative unfolds.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1519\" height=\"849\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1519px) 100vw, 1519px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-004.jpg\" alt=\"Medetashi\u00a0Medetashi\u00a0\" class=\"wp-image-60960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-004.jpg 1519w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-004-380x212.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-004-768x429.jpg 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>There is also&nbsp;a fair amount of point-and-click exploration and puzzle solving,&nbsp;which&nbsp;engage you in&nbsp;the world and characters.&nbsp;Despite Medetashi&nbsp;Medetashi\u2019s&nbsp;simplicity (it takes&nbsp;roughly 1&nbsp;to 2 hours to complete all 4 main chapters and an extra secret chapter), its story raises some interesting questions&nbsp;regarding&nbsp;loneliness, trust, and self-expression.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Developed by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/takeno.super.site\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Takeno Nono<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/takeno.super.site\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a>and published by&nbsp;VNka,&nbsp;Medetashi&nbsp;Medetashi&nbsp;is set to release&nbsp;in the second quarter of 2026 for Windows (<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/3624330\/Medetashi_Medetashi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steam<\/a>). A free Steam demo and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/novelgame.jp\/games\/show\/7700\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">web browser version<\/a>&nbsp;are also available.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1519\" height=\"851\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1519px) 100vw, 1519px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-005.jpg\" alt=\"Mimikaki\u00a0Collect\u00a0\" class=\"wp-image-60961\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-005.jpg 1519w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-005-380x213.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-005-768x430.jpg 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"mimikaki-collect\">Mimikaki&nbsp;Collect&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Mimikaki Collect is inspired\u00a0by Japanese \u201cmimikaki,&#8221; which translates to ear cleaning but doesn&#8217;t only account for the practical side of cleaning out your ears, but rather a soothing experience meant to give you tingly sensations. Using a traditional Japanese cleaning apparatus, you&#8217;ll clear out\u00a0various types\u00a0of gunk inside customers\u2019\u00a0ears for money.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Different customers have different-shaped earlobes, as well as&nbsp;various types&nbsp;of gunk inside them just waiting to be cleaned out. Thankfully,&nbsp;Mimikaki&nbsp;Collect\u2019s cute art style offsets the otherwise disgusting nature of your work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1520\" height=\"850\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1520px) 100vw, 1520px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-006.jpg\" alt=\"Mimikaki\u00a0Collect\u00a0\" class=\"wp-image-60962\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-006.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-006-380x213.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-006-768x429.jpg 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Being an&nbsp;ear cleaner must be&nbsp;a&nbsp;lucrative&nbsp;profession, as you can&nbsp;purchase&nbsp;tools,&nbsp;furniture, and even upgrade your home with the income you earn.&nbsp;Customizing your workspace and living quarters is just as important as ear cleaning, as it adds a sense of personalization.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Developed and published by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/studio-mimosa-games.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Studio Mimosa<\/a>,&nbsp;Mimikaki&nbsp;Collect is set to release on March 19 for Windows (<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/4052960\/Mimikaki_Collect\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steam<\/a>).&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u3010Mining Visual Novel\u3011Thaw Trailer\" width=\"1160\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IJpyj2Nt6BE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"thaw\">Thaw&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Underneath its icy exterior, Thaw is a cozy, atmospheric visual novel-slash-mining game about three noble brothers looking to earn their place as\u00a0the\u00a0king of\u00a0Isenvindar. After a brutally\u00a0long winter covers the\u00a0lands, Vinda (the eldest and a wanderer), Isbrand (the middle child and a fine swordsman), and Aska (the youngest and kindest), must gather the\u00a0ore\u00a0needed to make the crown and decide who shall take the throne.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1517\" height=\"848\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1517px) 100vw, 1517px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-007.jpg\" alt=\"Thaw\u00a0\" class=\"wp-image-60963\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-007.jpg 1517w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-007-380x212.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-007-768x429.jpg 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Thaw has you controlling the three brothers as they make their way to the bottom of the local mine. As they dig deeper, they&nbsp;acquire&nbsp;important resources for the crown and upgrade materials for their gear.&nbsp;The story also progresses further down, with the brothers recalling&nbsp;forgotten&nbsp;memories and strengthening their bonds with each other.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While&nbsp;the idea of digging in a mine seems like endless tedium, the game\u2019s calming music, satisfying&nbsp;digging&nbsp;and collecting sound effects, and personal storytelling keep you company until you reach the bottom. Thaw&nbsp;isn\u2019t&nbsp;incredibly long either,&nbsp;and&nbsp;can take you&nbsp;roughly two&nbsp;hours to complete.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Developed&nbsp;and published by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/paochanz.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Paochanz<\/a>,&nbsp;Thaw is set to release on February 27 for Windows and macOS (<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2897250\/Thaw\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steam<\/a>).&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those were five Japanese indie games that will help you kick back.\u00a0Though not all of them feature ear-tingling ASMR, these titles have their own way of making you feel at ease, be it through room redecoration or ear cleaning.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Weekly indie showcase, this time introducing five relaxing Japanese indie games, from ASMR cafes to atmospheric visual novels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":60955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indie-games"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>From\u00a0ASMR\u00a0tea brewing\u00a0to\u00a0tingly\u00a0ear cleaning: 5 relaxing Japanese indie games\u00a0 - AUTOMATON WEST<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Weekly indie showcase, this time introducing five relaxing Japanese indie games, from ASMR cafes to atmospheric visual novels.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From\u00a0ASMR\u00a0tea brewing\u00a0to\u00a0tingly\u00a0ear cleaning: 5 relaxing Japanese indie games\u00a0 - AUTOMATON WEST\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Weekly indie showcase, this time introducing five relaxing Japanese indie games, from ASMR cafes to atmospheric visual novels.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"AUTOMATON WEST\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-28T13:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-002.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1519\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Carlos &quot;Zoto&quot; Zotomayor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AUTOMATON_ENG\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AUTOMATON_ENG\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Carlos &quot;Zoto&quot; Zotomayor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"From\u00a0ASMR\u00a0tea brewing\u00a0to\u00a0tingly\u00a0ear cleaning: 5 relaxing Japanese indie games\u00a0 - AUTOMATON WEST","description":"Weekly indie showcase, this time introducing five relaxing Japanese indie games, from ASMR cafes to atmospheric visual novels.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"From\u00a0ASMR\u00a0tea brewing\u00a0to\u00a0tingly\u00a0ear cleaning: 5 relaxing Japanese indie games\u00a0 - AUTOMATON WEST","og_description":"Weekly indie showcase, this time introducing five relaxing Japanese indie games, from ASMR cafes to atmospheric visual novels.","og_url":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/","og_site_name":"AUTOMATON WEST","article_published_time":"2026-02-28T13:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1519,"height":853,"url":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-002.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Carlos \"Zoto\" Zotomayor","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@AUTOMATON_ENG","twitter_site":"@AUTOMATON_ENG","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Carlos \"Zoto\" Zotomayor","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/"},"author":{"name":"Carlos \"Zoto\" Zotomayor","@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/2812ca8facd5f161edfbc531cf81eb31"},"headline":"From\u00a0ASMR\u00a0tea brewing\u00a0to\u00a0tingly\u00a0ear cleaning: 5 relaxing Japanese indie games\u00a0","datePublished":"2026-02-28T13:00:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/"},"wordCount":1296,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-002.jpg","articleSection":["Indie Games"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/","url":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/","name":"From\u00a0ASMR\u00a0tea brewing\u00a0to\u00a0tingly\u00a0ear cleaning: 5 relaxing Japanese indie games\u00a0 - AUTOMATON WEST","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-002.jpg","datePublished":"2026-02-28T13:00:00+00:00","description":"Weekly indie showcase, this time introducing five relaxing Japanese indie games, from ASMR cafes to atmospheric visual novels.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-002.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260227-60951-002.jpg","width":1519,"height":853,"caption":"Kemono Teatime"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/indie-games\/from-asmr-tea-brewing-to-tingly-ear-cleaning-5-relaxing-japanese-indie-games\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"\u30db\u30fc\u30e0","item":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"From\u00a0ASMR\u00a0tea brewing\u00a0to\u00a0tingly\u00a0ear cleaning: 5 relaxing Japanese indie games\u00a0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/","name":"AUTOMATON WEST","description":"AUTOMATON is a website that covers the Japanese gaming world. We bring you the news on video games from Osaka and Tokyo.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/#organization","name":"\u682a\u5f0f\u4f1a\u793e\u30a2\u30af\u30c6\u30a3\u30d6\u30b2\u30fc\u30df\u30f3\u30b0\u30e1\u30c7\u30a3\u30a2","url":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/activegamingmedia_logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/activegamingmedia_logo.png","width":374,"height":190,"caption":"\u682a\u5f0f\u4f1a\u793e\u30a2\u30af\u30c6\u30a3\u30d6\u30b2\u30fc\u30df\u30f3\u30b0\u30e1\u30c7\u30a3\u30a2"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/AUTOMATON_ENG","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCabvYnvuUUbbGUrxkaFRgSA"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/2812ca8facd5f161edfbc531cf81eb31","name":"Carlos \"Zoto\" Zotomayor","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/display-pic-100x100.jpg","url":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/display-pic-100x100.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/display-pic-100x100.jpg","caption":"Carlos \"Zoto\" Zotomayor"},"description":"Automaton West writer. Zoto has been playing video games for 30+ years now but has only recently come to grips with PC gaming. When he isn't playing video games, he watches romance anime and gets mad when his best girl never wins.","url":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/author\/carlos-zotomayor\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60951"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60968,"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60951\/revisions\/60968"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60955"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}